If we succeed in demonstrating that, in addition to influencing its metabolic state, infrared light can affect the communication capacities between neurons, this would open up new avenues for understanding its therapeutic capacities.
Hi José,
What’s your background? How did you come to work at Clinatec? and what project are you working on?
I’m Spanish and I’ve been living in France for ten years with my family.
I did a PhD in neuroscience, during which I interned at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Maryland – USA).
I then continued my research at the HelmholtzZentrum in Munich, the National Institute of Physiological Sciences in Japan, the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, the Institut des Neurosciences de Grenoble and the Universidad del Pais Vasco/EHU.
During this time, I have followed a number of different themes, and in recent years have specialized in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. In 2019 I took a specialization in biotechnology management to gain a better insight into the world of research in industry.
I’m currently working on the “PatchLight” project, whose name comes from the contraction of Patch Clamp, a technique for recording electrical activity transiting through cell membranes, and Light in reference to the use of infrared light, photobiomodulation.
In this project, we are studying the electrical capacities of neurons and astrocytes while examining the effects of photobiomodulation on their modulation and/or restoration in a pathological context.
We face a number of challenges, both technical and scientific. We need to determine the most suitable model for our studies, define the strategy for applying photobiomodulation and confirm its efficacy on healthy cells or its specific usefulness in cases of cellular dysfunction, thus aiming to restore their health.
If we succeed in demonstrating that, in addition to influencing its metabolic state, infrared light can affect the communication capacities between neurons, this would open up new avenues for understanding its therapeutic capacities.
I believe that the Fonds Clinatec provides an ideal framework for collaboration and exchange, for testing hypotheses and disseminating findings, both in the academic world and in the development of therapeutic strategies. I think it’s the perfect place for me to further my career.
